Do US abortion bans affect birth rates and food-assistance costs?
A study in Economic Inquiry reveals how total abortion bans are reshaping public health systems and safety‐net programs in the United States.
Using state‐level data from 2017–2023, Lilly Springer, a PhD candidate at the University of Kansas, found that states with full abortion bans (after the Supreme Court overturned the federal right to abortion with the Dobbs decision in 2022) experienced a 1.6% increased birth rate in 2023. They also experienced 4.3% and 2.1% increases in participation in the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) among postpartum women and formula‐fed infants, respectively.
These changes led to a $6.9 million increase in WIC food‐assistance costs in 2023, revealing how abortion bans can rapidly increase demand on federally funded nutrition programs.
“The findings highlight important under‐examined consequences of reproductive policy on state budgets, public health infrastructure, and low‐income families,” said Springer.
URL upon publication: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/ecin.70053
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Journal
Economic Inquiry
Article Title
Downstream Effects of Post-Dobbs Abortion Bans: Birth Rates and WIC
Article Publication Date
11-Mar-2026
Study illuminates the experiences of people needing to seek abortion care out of state
Mass General Brigham author available to speak about the study’s findings and the experiences of 33 women who sought post-Dobbs care in Illinois
State-level abortion restrictions have shifted the landscape of care and the experiences of people traveling for abortion care after the June 2022 Dobbs v Jackson Women’s Health Organization Supreme Court decision. A new, qualitative study published JAMA Network Open takes a deeper look at the experiences of people traveling from U.S. states with abortion restrictions or bans to Illinois, a state where abortion remains legal.
Through interviews and surveys with 33 individuals, the paper tells the story of how abortion stigma, information and resource availability, and support are shaping the experiences of people seeking abortion care across state lines. Delays were common and people waited, on average, a month between deciding to have an abortion and getting care. The paper charts the journeys of individuals and includes powerful, anonymous testimonials from the study’s participants, such as:
“I took 2 flights coming here by myself. Whatever I’ve needed to do I’ve done it by myself, alone. And I left my baby for the first time in my life with a neighbor for three days just to be here. It’s a hard situation. Sometimes you don’t have money saved to pay to have another person come with you.”
—Participant G, from a state with a partial abortion ban
The authors recommend that policy changes should be coupled with increased visibility of accurate information, charitable funding, and abortion stigma reduction. “Abortion bans don't eliminate abortion, they just shift the burden onto patients–especially those who are young, low-income, or from marginalized groups,” said senior author Elizabeth Janiak, ScD, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Mass General Brigham.
Paper cited: Cornell A et al. “Seeking Abortion Care Across State Lines After the Dobbs Decision” JAMA Network Open DOI: 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2026.1068
Authorship: Alia Cornell, Brianna Keefe-Oates, Olivia Thornton, Jennifer Fortin, Andrea Gallegos, and Elizabeth Janiak.
Funding: This study was funded by Resources for Abortion Delivery (RAD), the Society of Family Planning Research Fund, The Milton Fund at Harvard University, and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. The findings and conclusions in this paper are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of RAD, the SFP Research Fund, the Robert Wood Johnson Fund, or the Planned Parenthood Federation of America Inc.
Method of Research
Survey
Subject of Research
People
Article Title
Seeking Abortion Care Across State Lines After the Dobbs Decision
Article Publication Date
9-Mar-2026
Seeking abortion care across state lines after the Dobbs decision
JAMA Network Open
About The Study:
The findings of this study suggest that people in states with abortion bans face limitations to obtaining abortion care out of state and should be supported through policy change, visible information and resources, and charitable and interpersonal social support systems.
Corresponding Author: To contact the corresponding author, Alia Cornell, MPH, email alia.d.cornell@kp.org.
To access the embargoed study: Visit our For The Media website at this link https://media.jamanetwork.com/
(doi:10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2026.1068)
Editor’s Note: Please see the article for additional information, including other authors, author contributions and affiliations, conflict of interest and financial disclosures, and funding and support.
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About JAMA Network Open: JAMA Network Open is an online-only open access general medical journal from the JAMA Network. On weekdays, the journal publishes peer-reviewed clinical research and commentary in more than 40 medical and health subject areas. Every article is free online from the day of publication.
Journal
JAMA Network Open
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